Heartache, Snowflakes and Love Stories
by YouAndMeComeWhatever
Summary: Set after 3x22 – Emma and Hook are trying to figure out how to be a couple, Regina and Robin are desperately fighting their feelings, while Mary Margaret and David start thinking they don't have what it takes to raise their child. Things get even more complicated when the girl with snow coming out of her hands becomes hell-bent on turning Storybrooke into an icicle.
1. Cold Forests and Even Colder Kitchens

**I own nothing. Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz do.**

* * *

She wakes up the day after her and Hook's trip to the past, and just lies in her bed for a second, taking it all in.

Holy crap.

Emma takes a breath. And another. If she's being completely honest with herself, she's waiting for her fight or flight instinct to kick in, after which she'd start packing her bag and be out of there in half an hour, tops.

But then she hears her baby brother crying in the kitchen, and all the anxiety over facing the day just seems to… disappear. And that's when it hits her.

She's not afraid.

For the first time in forever, she's actually happy with her life. She's with people she loves and who love her back and she doesn't have to be _afraid_. She's doesn't have to run or hide and it feels freaking _incredible. _

The cries don't stop and she rolls out of bed, wanting to see what is happening. In all honesty, David and Mary Margaret aren't the champions of parenthood -who is she kidding, neither is she- but maybe they can help each other out.

Neal seems to have taken a shine to her – it is the strangest thing, but whenever she holds him he stops crying.

The kitchen is a mess when she enters. Somehow her parents have made it seem like a bomb went off in the apartment after they brought Neal home. Clothes that were neatly folded just days ago are now scattered all over the apartment, plastic bottles and pacifiers are everywhere, not to mention the unused diapers that keep popping out of nowhere.

Her breath hitches in her throat for a second when she sees _him _there, talking to Henry who's eating cereal. They turn their attention to her at the same time, and she feels like she might trip over her own feet.

A smile tugs at the corner of his lips and there's that annoying little sparkle in his eyes when he sees her. "Swan."

She can't help but smile at that. After everything, including their time travel debacle, she's still Swan_. _Not Emma, Princess Leia, Miss Swan or any other nickname. She's _Swan. _

"Hey," she greets, only half-caring that she sounds _affectionate_ towards him, before ruffling Henry's hair and making a run for the coffee maker.

Her eyes sweep over the apartment as she waits for her coffee. Now that she's taking a better look, the place looks even worse that she thought. "What the hell happened here?"

Hook frowns, before checking if her parents are in hearing distance. "It seems your parents are quite… distraught."

A stuffed teddy bear flies out of nowhere and hits him in the chest. "We are not distraught," David defends, doing a bad impression of Hook's accent. Mary Margaret's walking behind him and she looks dead tired.

Hook cocks an eyebrow. "Really, mate? Then why does this place look like the Ogre Wars just ended?"

"Give them some credit, Hook," Emma says. "At least they didn't burn the apartment to the ground."

"We're getting there," her mother says and takes a seat next to Hook before stealing away his cup coffee. "Oh, black," she says, taking a small sip.

"I'm not exactly an expert on the whole motherhood thing," Emma says, "but I don't think you should be drinking coffee."

"It's just a couple of sips," her mother says. "And I could really use something to keep me from falling asleep."

If she notices that the apartment has turned silent and that everyone is staring at her, she doesn't say anything. Emma's the first one to snap out of it and she shrugs, before looking over at Hook.

"Another cup?" He gives her a short nod and when she's done she places their cups on the counter. Henry asks David if he can go see Neal then, and runs off after David warns him to be quiet. She can tell that her father is praying nothing wakes up the kid.

"What are you going to do today?" Mary Margaret asks, looking up at her.

She tries to ignore the burning feel of Hook's eyes on her. "Oh, you know… hide under my bed and hope Regina doesn't find me."

"Emma -" her mother starts, but she doesn't let her get the words out.

"No, don't. I told you last night, I don't think Regina will get over this anytime soon. I mean, I basically ruined her life in the span of two minutes." She feels panic creeping up her spine even as David rubs her arms trying to offer some comfort.

"Swan, there's no way you could have known," Hook supplies, and she is the only one who can pick up the underlying compassion in his voice.

She meets his eyes. "I should have listened to you," she admits. "You told me it was a bad idea to bring her with us."

"Emma -"

She shakes her head, ignoring the _stubborn woman _remark Hook mutters under his breath. "I mean, _Marian_, really? Out of all the people in the Enchanted forest, Robin Hood's _supposed-to-be-__dead wife _wasn't even in the top hundred of my list!" she slams her hands on the counter in the heat of the moment, and David's head snaps towards the bedroom.

For a moment they all stop breathing and wait for the crying to start.

Henry's head peeks from the room and he scowls at his family. "What are you guys doing? You'll wake him up!"

Emma frowns. "Sorry, kid."

"Mom, be quiet," he says and then he's back in the room again.

"Yeah, Emma, be quiet," David jokes, his smile widening when he sees her face. "What? Neal's a light sleeper."

"And he has quite the lung capacity," Mary Margaret supplies. She's given up on the coffee, and the cup is resting in her hands.

He can't resist. He tries, but he really can't. "Which one of your children are we talking about?" Hook asks, fighting a smirk when Emma faces him, daring him to say more.

"Hey, watch it, buddy. Just because we played matchmaking for my parents doesn't mean that -"

"Wait, what?" Mary Margaret cuts in, and David looks pretty damn interested too. "You did0n't tell us that."

She gets the sudden urge to curse. Another thing Hook's right about - she should really learn how to keep her mouth shut. First the slips in the Enchanted forest, now in front of her parents. "I didn't?"

"We only got to the Princess Leia part."

She looks at Hook, silently begging him for some help, but the pirate just smiles and shrugs, as if to say 'Your own fault, love'. "Right... Well, you know... it's a long story."

"It always is," David says. He looks like he's about to press for more information, when Hook cuts in.

"Didn't you say you have to go to the Sheriff's station, mate?" She sends him a grateful look, and he winks at her when David's not looking. The next thing she knows she's fighting a smile and losing.

David checks his watch. "Yeah, you're right. I should have been there already."

"Why do you have to go to the station?" Emma asks, bringing the cup of coffee to her lips.

"Ah, the people of Storybrooke have become paranoid since they heard that Zelena's portal activated last night. My phone was ringing the whole night - everyone thinks something bad is going to happen. They keep seeing things appear out of nowhere."

"What like, time portals and crap like that?"

David nods. "Pretty much. But Regina said that the portal was most likely the _only_ thing that got triggered after Zelena's death. What they're seeing is probably just fear playing tricks on them, but I have to make a couple of rounds to calm everyone down."

"David, no offense, but right now I wouldn't let you start a microwave, let alone walk around with a gun," Emma says. "Both of you should get some rest now that Neal's fallen asleep."

"But the rounds -"

"Hook and I'll take care if that."

"You will?" David asks, his voice sounding hopeful.

"You know he's tired when there are no surly looks," Hook says. "Wait, there it is. Spoke too soon."

Emma chuckles at David and Hook, her mind flashing to how they actually managed to get along in the Enchanted forest and how they're suddenly back to bickering like an old married couple.

She shakes her head. "I'll go put some clothes on. You two get a room."

She hears their protests as she climbs the stairs, and almost laughs out loud at their childlike behavior.

_Men._

...

Regina wakes up the day after "Prince Neal's coronation", or, as she decided to refer it to, "The day her life was once again destroyed".

She thinks the second one has more truth to it.

Her house is much colder than it was the day before. Perhaps it's because there is no smell of fresh coffee coming from the kitchen, or because Roland's laughter isn't echoing throughout her house. Henry isn't there either, he's with Emma and the Charmings, and suddenly, Regina's never felt more alone.

She should have known she would end up like this. Alone. It was something Cora always reminded her of, but she never truly believed it until everything she thought she had slipped out of her grasp.

Robin. Roland. Henry.

And the worst part is, she doesn't even have it in her to blame Emma anymore. It's not the Savior's fault she's unlovable, not her fault she was the Evil Queen, the _villain_, for so long.

And, like she's made it so clear in the past, villains don't get happy endings.

She eats some toast and drinks some coffee, only because passing out in the middle of the street and embarrassing herself is the _last _thing she needs. She briefly wonders if she should talk to someone about everything that has happened in the past twenty-four hours.

Archie? No, she can't deal with the cricket and his psychoanalysis right now. Snow? It's a better choice, but with the baby, she's probably dead tired. Regina still remembers how exhausted Henry made her feel in those first few weeks.

Robin crosses her mind -when doesn't he?- and she wonders what he and Roland are doing at that moment. Are they at Granny's with Marian, re-telling her everything that has happened in their lives since Regina herself took her away from them? Or maybe they're figuring out what a horrible person she is right then, because her terror is still fresh in Marian's mind.

And the guilt is there, eating away at her stupid heart.

She shouldn't have put it back, she realizes. It only makes her feel searing pain and regret, only makes her miss _them _more. And she wants to tear it out, wants it gone. She wants the pain to subside, the regret to fade. But she made a promise, and she swore she'd try harder to be stronger.

So she just sits there in her cold kitchen, trying as hard as she can.

...

"Do you think it's colder today?" Emma asks as she and Hook are making their way through the forest. She wraps her arms around her middle and tries to keep some warmth to herself, but she thinks it's not working, because it's freaking _cold_ and she can't feel her toes.

"It's cold everyday, Swan. That's what winter's about." Hook says, walking leisurely by her side.

"Well, yeah, I got that, but it just feels... colder, you know? And it wasn't like this back in the town."

"Love, you're not making any sense."

She sighs in frustration, because he can make her blood pressure go through the roof in a second. "You know what I mean. It's like the temperature dropped once we stepped into the forest."

"It's all in your head, Swan."

"I don't think so."

They walk in silence for the next few minutes. Suddenly she's at loss for words even though she has a pretty good idea what he wants to talk about - last night and everything that happened once they got back to their time. And dear Lord, that kiss. Of all their kisses - in Neverland, New York or the improvised resuscitation, that one took the cake. It was heart-stopping and stomach-flipping, which makes her kind of nervous.

God, her palms are getting clammy again.

"Stop that," he says suddenly. She realizes he stopped walking and turns around to face him.

"What are you talking about?"

Hook gives her a pointed look. "You have _that _look on your face again."

"What look?"

"The one you get when you're running panicked little circles inside your head, Swan. So stop it. Right now."

_Damn it._

"What do you want me to say, Hook?" She asks, actually hoping he'll have an answer because she has no idea what in the hell she's supposed to do.

"You don't have to say anything," he shrugs and it looks like he really means that.

It pisses her off.

"Well I want to say something!" She's almost yelling now. It's a good thing they're in the middle of nowhere.

"Then say it!" He yells back.

She crosses the distance between them in two strides, places her hand on the back of his neck and pulls him towards her, that familiar sensation of kissing him stirring in her chest. She's happy to find that the kiss feels like it had the night before - it still makes her ears burn and her breath quicken. For a second she was sure it really was all in her head.

When they pull apart she doesn't move away, but stays close to him and mumbles, "I'm really bad with words," against his lips.

He laughs, his chest vibrating. "I got that, Swan."

"Good. C'mon," she says, just slightly stepping back, "David's gonna say we're a couple of slackers."

"I'll have you know, your father openly admitted to liking me back in the Enchanted forest."

She laughs as they're walking towards the barn where Zelena's time portal went off. "Did he?"

"Yes. And I don't care what Dave says, he's warming up to me."

Ten minutes later, they're standing in front of the barn.

"There's no fire in the sky, that's good," Emma points out.

"Aye."

They head inside to check the place out one more time before deciding it's completely clean, when Emma shouts and grabs for his coat. A second later she's pulling him down after her and a terrible feeling settles in his gut - he think the portal is open again. He thinks he might lose her again.

But no, there's no portal trying to suck them inside. She just fell.

"Really, Swan?" he groans. "You're trying to break my spine now too?"

"Sorry," she says as he pulls her to her feet. "I just... slipped."

Hook shakes his head. "What on earth did you - what the bloody hell is this?" he asks.

Emma follows his eyes and then she's just as confused as he is, because they're staring at an icy path under their feet. It starts in the middle of that circle Zelena created, where the portal opened, and it stretches right out the door.

"It's ice," she says.

"A path," he fills in. "A frozen path."

Emma closes her eyes and counts to five. _Don't freak out, don't freak out._ "Crap."

* * *

**I just about lost it after I watched the finale. How good was it?! **

**My only problem is that they screwed up Robin and Regina, whose story is a really special one. Plus, I've been rooting for them since Neverland. **

**So, I'm left with mixed feelings after the last episode. On one hand, there's Captain Swan and I'm pretty sure I was squealing throughout the entire episode. On the other, there's Outlaw Queen and what they did is _so not cool. _**

**Also, Rumple, what the hell, man? Why are you lying to Belle? (I can already tell you crap's going to go down when she finds out)**

**Anyway... new story! Because when *cough* _Elsa_ *cough* came, I knew I had to put my spin on it. Though I'm really excited to see how it turns out on the show. September needs to hurry up!**

**Tell me what you thought of the first chapter. Reviews are love... :)**


	2. Frozen Hearts and Frozen Roses

"Swan, calm down." Hook reaches over the table and tried to get her to relax, because she's practically _buzzing _and _vibrating _in her seat and it's starting to draw attention from other people in the diner.

"Don't tell me to calm down," Emma says, her voice dangerously dropping. "Don't you know you _never _tell a woman to calm down?!"

"I heard about that; thought it was a nasty rumor. Now I see that it's not. But Swan, I'm pretty sure Ruby and her grandmother can smell panic, because they keep looking over at us every two seconds - calm. down."

"Hook, you saw that thing!" she whispers. "And I know you're thinking the same thing as I am - something made that trail. What if Regina was right, what if we did bring something else with us?"

He wishes he could confess that he feels the same panic as she does, but he doesn't, because one of them needs to keep their head on their shoulders and it's obviously not Emma. "I understand your concern, love, but we were both there when that portal disappeared. Nothing was there."

"What if we overlooked something? Hook, we have to tell David and Mary Margaret. We can't afford to have another Wicked Witch situation on our hands."

"And I agree with that, but you heard what your father said - this town is hell enough as it is with that portal activating last night. If you and I went around saying another villain is on the loose, we could cause more unnecessary damage. I say we at least make sure _something _is out there, before pounding the alarm."

They have a staring contest then, and when she loses Emma closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. She forces herself to calm down and when she opens her eyes he's not looking at her but at something behind her. They're sitting in the back of the diner and her back is turned to the door, so she has no idea who just entered, but they sure got his attention.

He clears his throat. "Swan. Incoming." His slightly urgent tone tells her who it is without him saying anything.

Emma glances over her shoulder. Her eyes widen and she swirls around to face Hook again. "Oh my God, it's Regina. What do I do?"

He thinks about it for a second before settling on, "Just talk to her."

"And say what?" She leans across the table. "'Regina, you don't like the like triangle I brought you from the past? That's too bad, I picked it out myself'."

"She's coming," he says quickly and quietly, barely getting the words out when Regina appears in front of them.

"Miss Swan. Enjoying your coffee, I see."

She prepares for the canon fire. "Regina..." she starts, about to tell her to just let it all out, because she pretty much has it coming. But Regina beats her to it, raising a hand and silencing her.

"I just wanted you to know that I don't blame you for... well, you know."

"You don't?" Emma and Hook ask at the same time.

Regina's mouth twitch. "Cute."

Emma ignores her. "But we... _I_ brought Robin Hood's wife back. I'm pretty sure that would put a strain on anyone's relationship."

"I know this may come as a shock, miss Swan, but all I want is for Robin and Roland to be happy. And if that woman can bring them such happiness, then I don't see why... Marian being here is a bad thing."

Emma is shocked until she feels Hook's eyes on her and figures she should stop staring at Regina like she grew a second head. She swallows, her throat suddenly dry. "I... wow, Regina. I don't know what to say. This is so... wow."

Regina sends her a dry look. "Your reaction is offensive."

Hook clears his throat and she snaps out of her daze. "No, I didn't mean it like that. It's just that... you've really come a long way, Regina."

The Queen doesn't say anything for a long time, long enough to make Hook slightly uncomfortable because he can see Emma thinks Regina will start screaming at her any time now. But she doesn't, and it's further proof that Emma's statement is correct.

They're both kind of glad.

"I... thank you, I suppose. Let's all hope you're not wrong... for once." The subtle jab has Emma frowning and Regina smirking. The bell above the front door jingles then, and all three of them turn to see who it is. When they spot Robin, Regina freezes, Hook sighs and Emma winces when she meets his eyes across the table.

When she turns her head, Emma finds that Regina is gone. "What the hell? She was right here!" she exclaims, staring at the spot where Regina stood just second ago.

"Magic, love. You know Regina has her disappearing act."

"But why would she leave? He's right there!" She points a finger at Robin, but Hook quickly pulls her hand down and lets his own rest on top of it when he places it on the table.

"Swan, it's not easy being around someone you want but who might not feel the same way in return."

She feels a pang of guilt at his words, because she knows he's talking from his experience with her. But she doesn't feel it's the right time to think about that - they're supposed to be moving forward. Ever since their trip to the past things have shifted, and the pull that was once there has turned into something more. She likes it, doesn't want it gone, doesn't want _anything _to ruin it.

"Hook, last night she ditched the diner without even talking to him. How can she know he doesn't feel the same way? Regina's got the whole 'magic thing' going for her, but she can't read minds."

There's an amused smile playing on his lips. "Swan, are you saying we're meddling? Again?"

Emma finds herself smiling back. For the life of her, she can't figure out how he manages to get her to smile so easily. "Not directly. We're just... monitoring the situation from the sidelines."

He rolls his eyes. "Meddling, Swan. It's called meddling."

"Fine, then we're meddling. I have to fix this."

"Here's your chance right now." He says, nodding at something behind her.

Emma frowns. "What are you talking about?"

He opens his mouth to respond, but Robin Hood's standing next to their table then, and she can't help but think that God has it in for her that day.

"Emma," he nods. "Hook."

"Hey, Robin," Emma says.

"Did I just see Regina here? Where is she?" he asks, looking around.

Emma and Hook exchange a look. He shrugs and cocks an eyebrow, his way of telling her to lie her face off. "Regina, uh... said she has some... errands to take care off." She winces because even for her, that lie is _weak. _

"I wanted to talk to her last night, but she was gone," Robin explains. "I think she's avoiding me because of what happened with Marian."

Emma doesn't want to talk about Regina anymore, because she's pretty sure Robin has no idea the Queen is heartbroken even though she's trying to hide it. Apparently your wife coming back from the dead isn't a universal sign for a break up in the Enchanted forest.

In the book or not, she'll never understand how things work in fairy tales.

"Speaking of, how is she? This whole thing's probably super weird for her."

"Marian is... happy to be with Roland and me again."

"And you?" Hook asks suddenly. She glances at him before looking back at Robin.

Robin scratches the back of his neck. "For the last few years I thought... she was dead and that her death was my fault. Now that she's back I don't know what to think."

"Aren't you happy to have her back?" Hook presses. Emma narrows her eyes at him, trying to see what his angle is. Hook doesn't usually go into 'questioning mode' unless there is something he wants to find out.

"Yes, of course," Robin's replies hastily, and both Emma and Hook can easily pick up on his uncertainty. "Actually, I wanted to thank both of you."

"For what?"

"Well for saving my Marian, of course. I was told she was to be executed when you freed her, Emma."

"Yeah, but it's not as simple -"

"No matter. For what you have done, you have my eternal gratitude."

Great. That makes her feel even worse. She smiles, but her lips feel plastic. "Don't mention it."

"I should go," he says. "I promised Roland his cocoa." With a short bow he retreats, and Emma can only watch him over her shoulder before turning to Hook. His eyes and smile are sympathetic, and as she rests her head on the table she feels his thumb caress the back of her hand. The action makes her feel better, and she feels warmth spreading through her, but her throat still constricts whenever she thinks of the most recent mess she's created.

Being the Savior really sucked sometimes.

...

Emma was lying. He could easily tell. When she told him Regina had "some errands to take care off" she was looking at him, but wasn't _really _looking at him. Her eyes were darting all over his face, and she stubbornly refused to look him in the eye.

Even if he hadn't looked out the window and seen Regina standing across the street watching them, he would think Emma was lying.

So he runs out of the diner without looking back, even though he can hear Ruby yelling after him, saying he forgot his order. He doesn't care, all he wants is to stop Regina from disappearing again.

Robin can tell she spotted him, because she turns on her heel and heads down the street, so he picks up his pace and yells, "Regina!" His voice is loud enough to turn some heads. Again, he doesn't care. All he can see is her.

When he finally catches up with her she appears frozen in her spot, her eyes fixated on something in the distance.

"Regina," he breathes out and reaches for her arm. To his surprise, she pulls away from his touch and his suspicions are confirmed - something is definitely wrong. "Why are you avoiding me?" he asks, trying to get her to face him.

"What do you mean?" she asks, pretending to be confused by his question.

"Last night you simply disappeared without saying a word, and now, you just about broke into a run when you saw me."

She laughs. "That is ridiculous."

"Is this because of what happened with Marian?" he asks and sees the smile slip from her face.

"You're joking, right?" She says, like it should be obvious.

"Regina, Marian being back does not mean my feelings towards you have changed. I still want to be with you," he says, hoping she'll see he means it.

Regina swallows a lump that appeared in her throat the night before, the one that threatens to choke her. "That... is not possible anymore. Under the circumstances."

He feels fear settle in his chest. It's not possible she's doing this to him. "What are you talking about? Where is this coming from? Just yesterday we were toasting to the return of your heart!"

"Another mistake I've made," she says. "That thing is just making everything more complicated than it needs to be."

"Regina, don't say that."

"Oh, we both know it's the truth. Either way, you should go back to your family. I'm sure they're missing you. I... I'll survive. It's what I always did." She says, trying to smile.

She turns around and tries to walk away from him, but his heart is screaming for him to not let her go, so he reaches out and grabs her elbow, spinning her around and pulling her to him. He kisses her and even thought he was freezing just seconds ago, now there's a fire spreading through his chest. For a moment he wonders if she feels it too. He can't feel anything but the woman next to him and he doesn't mind. He doesn't want to let her go.

Robin feels Regina's hands on his chest and hope sparks in him, he thinks maybe she's given up on her foolishness, but he's wrong. She pushes at his chest, and steps away from him, breaking the kiss.

She shakes her head, her lips drawing in a tight line. "No. I won't do this."

"What -"

"I refuse to break up a family," she says firmly, and he can see tears pool in her eyes. "Especially the one I've already broken up once."

"Regina," he pleads, "I... I love Marian, I won't lie. But that love is nothing compared to how I feel about you. I want to be with _you._"

She licks her lips, her eyes slowly turning cold. "Well, I don't want to be with you."

Before he gets the chance to say anything, she disappears in a whirlwind of purple smoke. He supposes she wants to make a point by using the smoke, because lately she's given on up on her magic tricks. She wielded white magic, now she's just re-using her old Evil Queen tricks.

He sighs, still staring at the spot she was standing mere seconds ago. The feel of her lips is still fresh, but he can't feel like she let him kiss her only because she decided it would be their last kiss.

She wanted the end of what they had to be memorable, he realizes.

When he looks over his shoulder, he sees Emma and Hook standing in front of Granny's. They're looking at him with pity, because they probably witnessed the whole thing. He sees Emma take a step forward, like she wants to come and talk to him, but Hook places his hand on her shoulder and pulls her back. he subtly shakes his head at her and she stays in her spot. Robin feels gratitude towards the pirate - he really doesn't want to talk to anyone at that moment.

He turns around and heads for the woods, because that's the only place where he'll be able to think clearly.

...

Emma watches Robin walk away. "That was... painful." She says, her shoulders slumped.

"Aye."

"I feel kind of sorry for him." She smacks Hook on the chest. "I told you he wants to be with her."

"Well apparently Regina doesn't feel the same way."

Emma rolls her eyes. "That's crap. She just feels guilty about what she did to Marian now that she's good."

"Wouldn't you? Regina wanted to cut her head off."

Emma ignores him. "I should go talk to her."

"Bad idea," he hums.

"Why? You saw what just happened! You can't tell me a kiss like that is shared by two people who don't want to be together."

The pirate smirks at her. "I didn't peg you for a romantic, Swan."

He sees her ears turn red and it only makes him grin more. She's _embarrassed_. "I... shut up," she mumbles, shaking her head.

"Oh, don't worry," he says, and sneaks an arm around her waist, pulling her to him. He brings his lips to her ear. "I like it." She laughs and he leans in to kiss her.

"You two!" They pull apart when they hear someone shout. When they turn around they find Granny standing in front of the entrance to her diner. Her hands are on her hips and her expression is grim. "I don't want a repeat of what happened last night. What kind of establishment do you think this place is? Either you go and have your happy ending somewhere else, or I want to see at least five feet worth of distance between you." She points a finger at them.

They wordlessly step away from each other and make sure that there's five feet between them.

Granny nods. "Good. I can't believe today - first my roses, now you two."

"What happened to you roses?" Emma asks quickly, because she's desperate to change the subject from her and Hook.

Granny nods towards the garden she has behind the diner. "Come and see."

They exchange a glance and Hook smirks as they follow Granny.

Granny stops and they stand next to her. "The hell?" Emma says. She's staring at Granny's roses with wide eyes, because the flowers are completely _frozen_. The petals -and the rest of the flowers really- are solid ice and if it wasn't the weirdest, it would be the most beautiful thing she's ever seen.

"This morning I came to water them and found them like this," Granny says. "I have no idea how it happened."

"I didn't think such thing is possible," Hook says.

"It's not." Emma turns to face him. "Now do you think we should tell David?"

He nods. "At this point, that sounds like the right thing to do."

"Yeah, because something is definitely going on."

* * *

**You guys are _sick _(*I have so much swag*)! I was blown away by the response to the first chapter! Thank you all for your kind reviews, they put a massive grin on my face :D**

**And I'll admit, I like this chapter. There's some Outlaw Queen angst, but don't worry, all flowers need rain to grow... right?**

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	3. Girl Talks And Frozen Statues

Regina appears in her office. She's fighting for breath, because even though she refuses to cry, her tear ducts aren't cooperating with her and a stray tear trails down her cheek. She wipes it off angrily, thinking that she is being the exact opposite of strong. She let Robin go - she told him to go and be with his family. She chose loneliness so that he and Roland could be happy - wasn't that the right thing to do?

It certainly doesn't feel like it.

If this is how being good feels like, then she has no idea how Snow and Charming have done it for so long. It's _so_ much work.

What angers her even more is how stupid she is around him. Why, for the love of God, did she let him kiss her? It only messed with her head, so now she doesn't know which way is up. Kissing him always does that to her.

She paces around, her mind feeling like a thousand hummingbirds coming together. She wants to break something, burst into tears and has the urge to go back to _him _all at the same time. It makes her feel pathetic. Weak.

The thought makes her stop in her tracks, and she resolves then and there that this 'bleeding hearts' situation has come to an end. Since when did Regina Mills do weak and pathetic? Since when did she allow herself to pine after some man she ran away from in the first place?

_Since you fell in love with him, _a voice in her head taunts. It sounds a lot like Emma Swan, Archie and Gold mixed together. She frowns and shakes the thought away. She's not going there. Those were the stupid corners of her mind she ought to avoid if she wanted the pain to go away.

She stands up straight. No more playing the martyr. She walks to her desk, pulls out a small compact mirror and fixes her make up.

If nothing, she'd be strong for Henry. Her son still needs her, and now that Emma decided they were staying in Storybrooke, Regina is determined to prove to him she can take anything life throws at her head on and not revert to her old ways.

She goes to grab her bag because she decides she wants to go see Henry, when something catches her eye. She frowns and approaches her window. "What now?" she mumbles, examining the glass. It's frozen, covered in patterns she can't match up. She steps away, sensing that something is off about the whole thing.

She glances at the rest of her windows, and finds they're all covered in ice as well. She can barely see the street. Something gnaws away at the back of her mind and she gets a strange feeling - she knows something is wrong, she just doesn't know why.

Regina quickly pulls on her coat and grabs her bag, heading for the door.

Maybe the Charmings would know more.

...

"Ice?" David asks, looking for confirmation.

"Yeah," Emma nods. "Ice."

"But it hasn't snowed in a couple of days," he says.

She shakes her head. Her father could really use a couple hours of sleep - she finds that he's pretty slow when he's sleep-deprived. "No, David, not snow. Just... _ice. _In the true sense of word."

"In the barn where Zelena's portal was triggered."

"That's right, mate."

"And what's this about Granny's roses?" he scratches his head, looking lost.

Emma sighs. "Oh my God. You didn't get any sleep after we left, did you?" she quirks an eyebrow.

"Neal woke up five minutes later," Mary Margaret jumps in. She's rocking Neal in his arms as she paces around the apartment, going in small circles. It doesn't really _annoy _Emma, but she is starting to get slightly dizzy. Neal isn't crying at the moment, which she supposes is a good thing, but he is refusing to fall asleep. He just waves his little arms around and sometimes lets out a soft whine. Emma thinks it's cute, but her parents look like the walking dead so she doesn't dare say it out loud.

Emma gets up from her seat and walks over to her mother. "Can I help somehow?" she asks, offering Neal her hand. He wraps his entire fist around her finger and she smiles. "Hey there." She knows she promised she wouldn't call him that anymore, but she can't help herself. Her little brother is simply too perfect. "Why won't you fall asleep?" she coos, only half-aware that her parents, Hook and Henry are staring at her. "You're wearing them out like a pair of old jeans."

Mary Margaret chuckles. "Do you want to hold him?"

She immediately straightens. Her heart skips a beat but she tries not to look _too _horrified at the idea. She's painfully aware of the fact she hasn't held Neal _once _since he was born, but that's only because she never really held a baby before. She let them take Henry away before she had the chance. What if she dropped him? What if she did something wrong and hurt him?

God, Hook was right. She does run panicked little circles in her head when she starts to over-think things. In her head, she can imagine a tiny Emma running around like a chicken with its head cut off.

"It's okay if you don't want to," Mary Margaret interjects quickly. She sounds normal, but Emma can see the hurt and dejection in her eyes. She's sure that if she looked at David she'd see the same thing.

She shakes her head. "No, I... I want to."

Her mother's eyes light up. "You do?"

"Yeah. Fair warning though, I'm not very good at this stuff so I hope this kid is made of steel."

Mary Margaret's just about to put the boy in her hands when someone knocks on the door. Henry gets up from his seat on the couch and goes to answer the door.

"Mom!"

Regina smiles. "Hi, sweetheart." She steps inside and closes the door. "What are you doing?"

"Watching mom trying to figure out how to hold a baby."

"Thanks for the support, kid." Emma says. "Means a lot."

He sees the smile on her face and shrugs. "What? It's true."

"What brings you by, Regina?" David asks.

She clears her throat, looking for a way to explain that winter is not the reason her windows are covered in ice. "I... encountered something strange earlier."

Emma walks over to the counter where the rest are gathered, while Mary Margaret goes to put Neal into his crib. "Join the club, Regina. We're thinking of making t-shirts."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you're not the only one who saw something weird today."

"Yes, let us guess. Ice? Something to do with it?" Hook arches an eyebrow.

The Queen frowns. "How did you know?"

Emma sighs and runs a hand through her hair. She can't deal with this again so soon. They _just _defeated Zelena. "Hook and I..." she starts, her voice strained, "This morning, when we were checking the woods for anything out of the ordinary, we found this frozen... path. It started in the barn where Zelena's portal was. And an hour ago, Granny showed us her roses, which, what do you know, are all -"

"Frozen," Regina finishes.

"Yeah."

"I don't understand what this all means."

"None of us do."

"You know," Mary Margaret says when she comes back into the room, "it did seem like it was colder this morning. I didn't go outside, but I opened a window and it felt like it was the heart of winter again."

Emma looks over at Hook. "I told you so."

"Very mature, Swan," he says, rolling his eyes.

"I told you it wasn't "in my head"."

"If you two are done," Regina cuts in, "maybe we can figure out what the hell is happening here. Why is everything suddenly getting frozen?"

The apartment turns quiet as everyone gets lost in their thoughts, thinking of possible scenarios. Emma is the one who breaks the silence. "What if -" she trails off.

"Swan." Hook stops her, sending her a warning look. "Are you sure?"

"Hook, we have to."

David watches the exchange, the lines on his forehead getting deeper with every word. "Have to what? What are you guys talking about? Did something happen?"

Emma shakes her head. "Nothing happened, it's just that... I was thinking about something Regina said last night." she sends the Queen a pointed look. Regina just cocks an eyebrow, waiting for the rest. "What if we... brought back something else from the past?"

"Like what?" Mary Margaret asks slowly.

Emma shrugs. "I have no idea. Maybe something, or someone, that can turn stuff into ice."

David turns to Regina. "Have you ever heard about something like that?"

She shakes her head. "No, never. Of course, I assume that just about anyone who can wield magic can conjure up spells that have something to do with ice."

"Awesome," Emma mutters.

"Maybe Mr. Gold would know more," Mary Margaret proposes.

David nods. "That's not a bad idea. Hook and I'll go." He says readily, already going for his jacket.

Regina nods in agreement. She walks over to where Henry is sitting on the couch reading a book and places a kiss on the top of his head. He smiles at her. "I'll see you later."

"Where are you going?"

She glances at the group. They also seem to want to know. "I will go check and see if those two missed something in the woods. If there's some magic at work there, I'll be able to feel it."

Emma frowns, slightly offended. "Why would we miss anything?"

Regina smirks. "I imagine the pirate has the ability to distract you in a heartbeat."

"Just for that, I'm coming with you."

"Suit yourself, miss Swan."

Emma slips on her leather jacket and pulls a wool hat on her head. She notices her father watching her and shrugs. "What? It's freaking cold out there."

David rolls his eyes, smiling. "Let's just go before it gets dark outside. I don't want to risk something happening to you." He kisses Snow and Neal, before looking over at Hook and heading for the door. Hook nods in return and smiles at Emma, before following after the Prince.

"And here I was, thinking I'd get my lunch back," Regina remarks.

"Just walk, Regina."

...

"What on earth could you possibly see in that pirate?" Regina wonders out loud as she and Emma are walking through the forest. They're not heading in any particular direction, they're just waiting to see if Regina's magic meter will pick up on something.

Emma glances over her shoulder. "Really? Now?"

The Queen shrugs, unapologetic. "All I'm saying is that a few days ago you refused to be in the same room as him because of the 'cursed lips' business with Zelena, not to mention he tried to ship _our __son _out of Storybrooke. Now all of a sudden it's smiles and candy and puppies."

"Oh, you're the one to talk about sudden smiles and candy and puppies."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

Emma faces her. "Don't act like you don't know. Everyone knows that ever since you and Robin Hood got together you've been a whole different person. A good different, but still different."

"Perhaps you're wrong."

"About you being different?" Emma snorts. "Yeah, I don't think so. For starters, if you were still the Evil Queen, you would have chopped off my head last night. But you didn't, and on top of that you said you don't blame me. But for the record, _I _blame me, and I think you have every right to as well."

"You do?"

Emma nods. "Yeah."

"Sometimes it doesn't feel like I've changed," Regina admits, because really, if the Savior can feel guilty over something Regina herself has stopped blaming her for, then she guesses it wouldn't kill her if she shared this little piece of her thoughts. It might ease the tension of the situation.

"Oh no, trust me, you have. Take it from someone who saw, and was sentenced to death by the old you just yesterday. It's the 'heaven and earth' kind of thing."

"Just what _did_ happen to you in the past?"

Emma mulls her words over for a moment. She settles on, "A lot of really crazy stuff. We kind of messed up the timeline and had to fix it again."

That doesn't surprise her. "Of course you did. But you're deflecting, miss Swan. You still haven't answered my question from before."

Emma sighs. "Hook... Him being there made it a little less horrible, if you know what I mean. It's like, I ruined the past and it's possible I might fade from existence, but he's there being smug and punching himself in the face and it's not as scary as it could have been. And he just... believes in me, you know? If it wasn't for him and his blind conviction that I can do anything I wouldn't be here right now. Or I would, but the world would be completely different."_  
_

Somewhere during Emma's little speech, Regina's mind wonders off. What the blonde says about the pirate believing in her makes Regina think about Robin, and how he's always believed there's more to her than just being the Evil Queen. He believes there is good in her, just like Hook believes Emma is capable of anything.

And because of the connection, Regina doesn't make fun of her, and they wordlessly continue their walk through the forest.

...

The bell above the door to Gold's pawnshop jingles when David and Hook enter. Belle's standing behind the counter, and when she looks up and sees them she smiles.

"David, Hook," she greets. "What brings you by?"

David smiles as the pirate standing next to him nods at the brunette. "Belle. We... need to talk to Gold," David says, noticing how Belle's a little more cheerful than usual. "Is he around?" He asks, looking around.

"Oh, I'm here, dearie," Gold says, coming from the back room. "How can I be of assistance?"

David blinks, a little surprised by Gold's enthusiasm to help. He wonders if Hook picked up on it too and glances at him. Based on the look on Hook's face, David can tell they're thinking the same thing.

"Uh... we just came to ask you something."

"Well?" Gold asks after nobody says anything for a full minute. "I'm waiting."

"Do you know of anything, or anyone, that can make icy pathways and freeze flowers and... windows?"

"Yes, of course," Gold says, no hesitation.

David's eyes widen. "Really?"

"Anyone who can do magic. Regina, your daughter and myself included."

David's shoulders slump. Not the answer he was looking for. "No, we're looking for something more... specialized. The temperatures dropped too, not a lot of people can do that, right?"

It appears Gold is going through his memories, his list of things he knows can do magic, when his smirk from before disappears. Belle, David and Hook watch as he gets a grave look on his face, and David's pretty sure he feels his blood turn cold.

"What is it?" Hook asks, looking just as unsettled as the rest of them.

"It can't be," he mumbles under his breath, not answering Hook's question. The wizard turns on his heel and quickly goes to his office without another word. Belle's eyes are wide when she looks at David before hurrying after him. David and Hook are just about to follow, try to get some answers about what's going on, when David's phone rings.

"Damn it," he curses, searching through his pockets. He quickly answers when he sees it's Emma calling him. "Emma? Is everything okay?"

"No," he hears Emma's reply. "Regina thinks something is out there."

Panic creeps up his spine. "Why? What happened?" he demands to know because, damn it, his family's in danger and he won't have that again. He jerks his head towards the door, telling Hook they're leaving. Hook doesn't argue, he seems to be a second away from grabbing the phone from him anyway.

"Regina and I were near the farmhouse, when Regina just poofed us back to the apartment. She's sure something was out there last night."

"We're on our way."

...

"What do you think it is?" David asks.

Regina is sitting on one of the stools, a cup of something hot in her hands. David is with Mary Margaret, who looks worried as she watches the Queen. Emma is with Henry, and they're standing next to Hook, who would have broken down the front door if it wasn't for David.

Regina shakes her head. "I don't know. All I know is that it's nothing good."

"What exactly happened?"

"Everything was okay until we got to the farmhouse," Regina explains. "And then it was just... cold. I couldn't feel anything else, just cold, the kind that bites to the bone. And it's not natural either."

Hook frowns and Emma squirms in her spot, feeling creeped out by her words. "Maybe we should all just... leave it for tonight," she proposes.

David nods. "Emma's right. It's already dark outside so we're not going out there, at least not today. And tomorrow, we'll all go see Gold."

"It appeared he knew something," Hook says.

"Yeah."

"Then it's settled," Regina says, getting up from her seat. "Tomorrow we'll go to Gold and get to the bottom of whatever's happening. And fair warning, if this is another 'Zelena situation', I _will_ burn something to the ground."

...

Early in the morning on the next day, all four of them - Regina, David, Hook and Emma, are walking down the street towards Gold's pawnshop, when they hear a scream. It's blood-curling, terrifying, and it has them breaking into a run before they even have the chance to figure out what's happening. They run towards the source of the scream, and find that it came from Ruby. She's standing on the sidewalk in front of Granny's diner, and her back is turned to them, but they can still tell she's crying.

"Ruby?" Emma slowly asks, approaching her. David and Hook are right behind her. "Ruby, what's wrong?"

Ruby doesn't say anything, instead she moves out of the way and Emma covers her mouth with her hand. Next to her, Regina's eyes widen in shock.

"Oh my God," David breathes out.

"Bloody hell."

"It's Marco," Emma says, not tearing her eyes away from the frozen statue in front of her. "He's been turned to ice."

* * *

**Dun, dun, dunnnn. It looks like Elsa's playing hardball. I think it's time to bring her in, so the next chapter introduces us to the Ice Queen *crowd 'ooooh's'* **

***evil laugh from yours truly***

**Thanks for all the love, I get all giddy inside when I read your reviews :)**


	4. Back Stories and Clock Towers

"I don't understand," Regina says, getting closer to Marco. "I..." she places a hand on the statue and closes her eyes as she feels magic surge through her.

Everyone else stays still and quiet; no-one dares to say anything. David is rubbing Ruby's shoulders, who still has tears streaming down her face. She hiccups every now and then, but mostly just stares at the frozen statue of Marco. Emma moved closer to Hook - she's frowning, her mind reeling from seeing her friend frozen solid.

Regina opens her eyes and moves her hand away. "It's the same thing I felt in the woods."

"Are you sure?" David asks.

"Positive. I'm sure Emma could feel it too."

Emma frowns. "I don't really want to touch Marco now that he's... ice. It's just kind of wrong."

"Ruby," David starts, moving so that he can see her face, "what happened?"

"I was late for my shift," she explains. "And on my way to the diner I just... found him here, in the middle of the street. I thought I was seeing things, but it's obviously Marco. God, who did this to him?"

Emma tries to smile. "That's what we were going to find out when we heard you scream."

"Where were you going?"

"To Gold's. We think he may know something."

"I'd go with you, but I kind of just want a drink after seeing him like this," Ruby's eyes settle on Marco. "Whoever did this to him has to pay."

"Agreed," Hook says, speaking up after keeping silent for a while. "Say, Ruby, can you... you know, smell anything? Being a wolf and all that."

She blinks. "I didn't think of that." She takes a deep breath and looks around. "Snow." She says eventually.

Emma steps closer to her. "Snow?"

"You know that feel... scent... smell of fresh snow?" They nod. "Well that's the only thing I'm getting."

"We need to get to Gold," Regina says.

"But what about Marco?" David asks. "We can't just leave him in the middle of the street like this. What if someone... I don't know, breaks him?"

Emma winces at the idea. "Gluing him back together would be a bitch."

"I think the pirate is rubbing off on you," Regina says, looking over at her.

David shakes his head, letting their comments slide. "We should call somebody to come and take Marco someplace safe. And cold. Definitely cold. The last thing we need is him melting."

"Huh," Regina says. "Maybe it just runs in the family."

"I know," Emma cuts in, "who we should call."

"Who?"

She looks Regina straight in the eye. "Robin Hood." Hook nudges her with his elbow but she ignores him. If Regina insisted on playing dirty, then two could play that way.

David nods, missing the evil eye Regina gave his daughter. "That's a good idea. Robin and his Merry Men won't have any trouble carrying him. I'll call Snow and have her think of somewhere they could take him."

"I suggest the freezer at Granny's diner."

Emma cocks her head to the side. "Seriously, Regina? You have even less tact than I do." She shakes her head. "Let's just go. Ruby can stay here with Marco until we call Robin."

Regina claps her hands. "Great. We shouldn't waste any more time. I can get us to Gold's shop in a moment." Before anyone has a chance to say or do anything, she puts her hands on Emma's shoulders and then they're all standing in the middle of Gold's shop. "See? Easy."

Hook rubs his temples. "I hate it when she does that. The bloody room twirls."

"I know," David agrees. "It always feels like somebody punched me in the face."

"Gold!" Emma calls. "Gold, get out here!"

They hear footsteps, quiet conversation and commotion, and then Belle and Gold step into the room. "What is going on?" Belle asks. She turns to Hook and David. "And where did you disappear to yesterday?"

"We have a problem. A big one." Emma says. "Someone turned Marco into ice."

Belle gasps and buries her head into Gold's shoulder. His arm is wrapped around her and when they move, Emma is fairly certain she can see something gold sparkle on Belle's ring finger. She narrows her eyes at them but doesn't say anything. She assumes that them getting married isn't the weirdest thing to happen, but if they did get married, why did they do it in secret? It's something she decides to think about later, when someone isn't trying to turn them into icicles.

"I feared this would happen," Gold says, making all eyes fall on him. "Come," he gestures towards his office, and the small group follows after him and Belle. "Yesterday your father told me about everything that has happened, miss Swan. He told us about the ice in the barn, the frozen roses, Regina's windows... I've thought about it for quite some time, and realized that I only know of one person who's capable of controlling ice with such ease."

"Well, who is it?" Emma presses. She's tired of beating around the bush. She wants some answers.

"First, just to be sure, tell me one thing. You said that, when you were in the past, I put you in a room with no doors, correct?"

She feels Hook stiffen behind her. "Yeah," she says slowly. "It was a big room, with no doors or windows. Just a bunch of compartments, shelves and closets. You said even you didn't dare to go there."

"Because that's where you stored magic that was too dark or unpredictable, even for you," Hook adds, and Emma realizes he's using the exact same words as Rumpelstiltskin. She has to give him props - he has good memory.

Gold nods. "Yes. And while you were there, did you happen to see, well, it's difficult to describe. It looks like an... urn, of sorts."

She's about to tell him she doesn't remember seeing an "urn", because she was pretty much just trying to find a way out, when Hook interrupts. "Would that urn be about... that big," he asks, pointing at one of the vases on the window sill, "and silver, with a lid?"

Gold looks like he just woke up from a nightmare. "You've seen it."

He nods and Emma cocks an eyebrow. "You have?"

"Don't you remember, Swan? You told me not to touch it."

She searches through her memories of that place, before the scene plays out in her head. "Oh, crap."

"What did you do with it?" Gold asks, his voice bordering on angry.

"Nothing, okay? Hook placed it on some cabinet or whatever and we didn't touch it after that."

"Did you open it?"

"No!"

Gold circles his desk and walks to his bookshelf. "Maybe it somehow got through the portal," he mumbles, going through the books. "If it did... it could have opened. Maybe she got out..."

"How about letting us in on the secret, Gold," Regina says, keeping her eyes on him. "What are you looking for?"

"This," he says, pulling out a book that strangely resembles Henry's storybook. Gold limps over to his desk and puts the book down. He flips through the pages for a few moments; everyone else just stares and waits. "Here it is," he says and slides the book towards Emma. "You wanted answers - here they are. Look for yourself."

She leans in so she could see better. A second later she looks up at Gold, "You can't be serious."

"I wish that were the case, dearie."

Regina also leans in so she could take a look at the title written in pretty blue cursive, with drawn snowflakes fluttering around. She lets out a laugh. "The Snow Queen? I agree with miss Swan, you _can't _be serious. This is absolute nonsense."

"And that is coming from the Evil Queen herself," Gold remarks dryly.

"Gold, I've _never _even heard of anyone that knew she existed. The Snow Queen... Ice Queen, _Elsa _-whatever you want to call her- is just a myth."

"That's because she has spent the last couple centuries in that urn."

"Well I'm not taking any more chances, I don't want another Zelena on our hands. If he says she's real - she's real." Emma says. "What happened? What did... Elsa do to end up in that vault of yours?" she asks slowly, only barely hearing the threat in her voice.

Gold sighs. Emma watches as Belle circles around the table and puts her hand on his shoulder. There's that golden sparkle again. "Some time ago," He starts, "just after I'd lost Bae, a kingdom asked for my help - in a similar way Belle's had. The place was covered in snow and frozen solid when I got there - they said their queen had set off an eternal winter."

Emma's stomach drops. "Why?"

"The Queen's powers were too powerful - too unpredictable for anyone to know what would happen if her emotions got out of control. She abandoned her kingdom, but in the midst of all that chaos, she somehow wound up freezing her sister's heart. I was told the two of them cared very deeply for each other, and after... Elsa failed to find a way to save her sister, her own heart froze as well."

"So she went dark side?"

"In a way, yes."

"What happened after?" David asks. "How did you defeat her?"

"It wasn't truly a defeat. I merely tricked her. Even my power can't be measured with hers."

"Fine, Gold, how did you _trick _her?" He tries again, exasperated.

"It only took being in the same room as her to know she was still in pain over losing her sister and was willing to do whatever it took to get her back. In order to stop the winter destroying the kingdom, I lied, promised I could help melt the ice in her sister's heart. She was very willing to negotiate."

Emma frowns. She hates to admit it to herself, but she feels a little sorry for this Elsa girl. "That's kind of... cruel, don't you think?"

"Do you know how many people she turned into ice, dearie? _Thousands. _She cared not who she hurt in order to get what she wanted and that is exactly what made her heart both blacken _and _freeze. Over time it wasn't even about her sister anymore, she simply took joy in bringing people around her pain. And that mirror of hers..." Gold trails off.

"What mirror?" Regina and Hook ask at the same time.

"Yeah, what mirror?"

"The Snow Queen... she created a magic mirror."

"Like Regina's?" Emma asks. "The one that's actually Sidney?" She _still _can't believe how freaky that is.

To her disappointment, because she knows the truth is worse, Gold shakes his head. "No. This mirror, I believe it got destroyed along with her castle, distorted the appearance of everything it reflected. It failed to reflect the good in people, and only showed their bad side. The Snow Queen could shatter the mirror, use its shards to freeze hearts, then put it back together again."

Regina licks her lips. "So let me see if I got this right... she had an endless amount of deadly magical... shards?"

"Correct."

Next to Emma, Hook mutters, "Wonderful."

"What does she want here?" David asks.

He notices his daughter looks paler than before. "And why would she freeze Marco? Or his heart?"

Gold gets up from his chair and walks over to Emma. "That's for you to find out, dearie, while I look for a way to render her powerless before she does the same thing to Storybrooke that she did to Arendelle."

"Me?"

"Well you brought her here, didn't you?"

Emma swallows. "Yeah."

"Don't blame her," David cuts in, looking visibly pissed off.

"And why the hell not?" Regina snaps from the corner. "If your daughter hadn't been so careless during her little adventure in the past, Charming, none of this would have happened! This just goes to show that your family worries about consequences only when it's too damn late."

"Now hold on a second, Regina -" David starts, but Emma doesn't let him finish.

"Wait, what about that 'I don't blame you' crap?" She asks.

"That was before, when I thought the only thing you brought back was Marian, not a _monster_ who has enough power to turn this town into nothing more than a frozen spot on the map. We'll all freeze to death, thanks to you playing the hero."

Emma doesn't say anything as she feels her throat close up. "You're right," she says, her voice thick. She turns on her heel and pushes through the wall that her father and Hook created standing behind her, as she runs to the door. Suddenly Gold's shop feels too crowded. She can't breathe, and there's a weight on her chest that threatens to crush her if she stops running. She feels guilty as hell and she doesn't know what to do.

She faintly hears Hook, David and Belle yelling after her, but all she sees is the front door.

Screw this.

...

Emma sits in the clock tower and stares at the big metal hands, when she hears Hook's footsteps. Apparently it's gotten to the point where she can just tell them apart from any other, and if she wasn't too messed up to care, it would slightly freak her out.

She wipes her cheeks, trying to hide her face from him. Now that he caught her crying like a little girl who ran away, she just feels stupid. She doesn't see him, but she hears the ruffling of his leather coat and knows the exact second he settles next to her.

"How the hell did you find me?" she asks eventually, after she realizes he's not going to talk. "I specifically looked for a place you and David wouldn't think of."

"I figured you'd think that way," he says. "The clock tower is really the only place close enough I'd never think you'd be at - so you had to be here." He brings his hand to her jaw and slowly turns her head to face him. "Swan, what's the matter?"

"I'm not good at this," she admits with a tearful smile.

Hook frowns, a small crease forming on his forehead. "At what?"

"This. You heard Regina."

"Regina's just angry, love. Don't take anything she says seriously."

Emma shakes her head stubbornly. "But Hook, she's right. _I _ran towards the portal even though you told me not to, _I _almost messed up David and Mary Margaret's life, _I _should have made sure we didn't bring anything else back with us, and _I _should know better than this! I didn't think of consequences, and because of that, Marco's heart is frozen. August's... Pinocchio's father is a freaking ice sculpture, and that's on me."

"Emma -"

She cuts in. "I'm just not good at... being the Savior. It's seems like every time I take a step forward, something comes and knocks me twenty steps back and I'm just so tired of it."

"I know."

She looks at him. "And right now, I don't know what to do. I can't stop the Snow Queen, hell, I can't even find her. And Regina hates my guts on top of everything, and when my parents realize what I've done, they'll hate me too."

Hook looks like someone kicked him in the throat. "Is that what you're scared of? Swan, are you off your rocker? Take it from me, there is _nothing _you could ever do that would make your parents hate you. And everything you blame yourself for really isn't your fault. For example, if _I _hadn't touched the thing that contained The Snow Queen, had I just listened to you, none of this would have happened. So stop taking the blame for everything, because you will only drive yourself up a wall." He wipes a tear from her cheek in a similar way he had in the Enchanted forest. "Alright?"

She smiles. "God, I wish you'd just yell at me. It would make me feel _so _much better."

"Perhaps when your father isn't around threatening to shoot me in the face."

"You do love your face."

Hook smirks. "Aye."

The look he gives her then is enough to assure her that his 'face' is a metaphor for something else, when his eyes settle on something over her shoulder. She watches, frozen in place, as his eyes widen and nostrils flare. _  
_

"Swan."

She turns around, and out of the small window that Marco had put in the last time he was up there, she sees a figure walking down the main street. The girl is wearing a blue dress and has something like a cape, and there is ice beneath her feet. Just looking at her makes Emma feel cold.

"It's the Snow Queen," Hook breathes out.

"Let's go."

* * *

**Hello my beautiful peeps! **

**So, this is me getting off track, but I would just like to say, I've been majorly freaking out all day today. I usually get all high on adrenaline after every finale of every show I watch, but let me just say, while OUAT had me grinning like a Cheshire cat, Supernatural made me want to cry, crawl into a hole, and die. **

**(Sorry, but I kind of don't have anyone else to talk to about this... If you're a SPN fan, you understand - if you're not, I'm really sorry just ignore me) I haven't cried so much over a character (Dean-freaking-Winchester) since the fifth season of SPN, when Sam jumped into the pit. **

**God, the things TV shows do to me... Now I'm even more anxious. WHY CAN'T IT BE SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER ALREADY?**

**This is... awkward. Sorry 'bout the rant. Anyway, what'd you guys think of Elsa's back story? I'm gonna try to follow both _Frozen_ and the Snow Queen tale. In my story, Anna's heart was never thawed. So you figure out what's gonna happen next *cackles like a moron*.**

**Tell me what you think, I love reading your comments!**


	5. Icy Encounters and Fireballs

"Call David!" Hook shouts as he and Emma run down the stairs of the clock tower. He's holding onto the railing and doesn't dare let go because he's sure he'll trip and end up dead.

Emma fishes her phone out of her pocket and thanks her lucky stars she has David on speed dial. She quickly presses a button and presses the phone to her ear. She isn't sure how she'll answer any questions David might have because she's slightly out of breath, her heart is pounding and a bucket load of adrenaline is coursing through her body.

_"What is it you want now?"_

She frowns, moving the phone away from her ear to quickly glance at the screen. "Regina? Is that you?" She realizes she must have pressed the wrong number.

_"This is my number, Miss Swan. I- Charming, can you be silent for a second? Yes, it's her. No, well- fine. Okay, I'll ask her, but first take three steps back."_

Emma hears shuffling on the other end of the line. She wants to curse and shout because Hook and her are running toward the freaking Ice Queen, and they are having a stupid fight over nothing.

"Regina, focus!"

_"Your overbearing father wants to know where you are and if the pirate has found you. He ran out after you without saying anything. Typical."_

"Regina, we're at the clock tower. Guess who we saw?"

_"You don't mean..."_

"Yeah, that Elsa character. She's walking down main street, Hook and I are heading her way. Get here as soon as possible."

Before Regina has a chance to respond, Emma hangs up, picking up her pace. Her heart is pounding in her head and she feels light-headed. If it wasn't for the sound of Hook's footsteps behind her, she would probably think she was in a bad dream. She feels a little scared too. Elsa seems like a real danger, and will probably become a major pain in the butt in a matter of days, unless Emma figures out what she wants. Her gut also tells her she has to at least _try _to stop her. If she fails, her family -and the entire town- will be in big danger.

She can't let that happen. For once, she has to prevent disaster from happening, not be the reason it happens.

They step out on the street. Emma hears the door slam shut and Hook's footsteps behind her. She looks up and for the first time, sees the Snow Queen's face. It's pale, almost white. Her eyes stand out - they are like an ongoing snowstorm, cold, deadly and capable of turning you into solid ice. Her pale lips are stretched in a confident, almost cruel smirk that Emma wishes she could wipe off her face. Her blonde -almost white- hair is in a single braid, and it's draped over her shoulder.

It takes Emma a moment to take in her dress. It's beautiful, she has to admit. Sky blue, and it sparkles like it's made of jewels. It hugs her body and pools around her feet. Elsa also has, and watch this, a _cape. _It's white, almost invisible, and it makes Emma think of snowflakes. That simple piece of cloth is like fresh snow.

All in all, Emma decided that her dress truly is fit for the Ice Queen. It's beautiful and royal and cold - just like Elsa herself.

"Stay back!" Hook yells, startling her out of her thoughts.

"There's no time for that, Hook!"

"This is not the time to be a bloody hero, Swan!" Hook argues, trying to catch up to her.

"He is right, you know," another voice cuts in. It's velvety smooth, and makes her feel like ice is going through her spine.

Emma turns around and stops running. Before she knows it she's staring into Elsa's cold blue eyes.

"We know who you are," Emma says. Suddenly she feels Hook standing behind her and the thought makes her a little better. Just like in the past, his presence makes things less horrible. She straightens and squares her shoulders, knowing that she shouldn't let Elsa think she's scared of her. Fear gives the bad guys power, and she definitely doesn't need Elsa getting stronger. "What do you want?"

The Queen's smirk grows bigger, and with a flick of her wrist she throws Hook into the side of some building. Emma watches, unable to do anything. Her eyes double in size as fear settles in her gut.

"Hook!" She yells, her voice breaking near the end when she realizes he's not moving. He's just lying there. It's scares her that he's so still. She takes a step forward, but then the Elsa shakes her head and Emma finds she can't move. She looks down at her feet and sees that there's ice surrounding them; trapping her and preventing her from moving. She feels cold. To her horror, she sees the ice spreading. It has already reached the middle of her calves, and it's going for her knees. In a few minutes it'll reach her waist.

She forces herself to look away from Hook. Looking at his lifeless body makes her feel anger and fear at the same time.

"What do you want?" She repeats her question, gritting her teeth. She clenches her fists and wishes Elsa would come closer so she could sock her in the face.

"I'm looking for a powerful enchantress or a wizard in this clump of houses you call a town," Elsa replies. "Do you know where I can find one?"

Emma's breath hitches and she swallows a lump in her throat. For a moment she wonders if she should tell Elsa she's the Savior and see if that qualifies as being a "powerful enchantress." Then she thinks of Regina and Gold and suddenly, she doesn't know what to say. It's a good thing she has enough reason left to jut out her chin, look Elsa in the eye and lie like it was her last day on Earth.

"Not in this clump of houses."

Elsa cocks her head to the side. "Are you sure? That friend of yours also said he didn't know, and you saw what happened to him. It's what happens to everyone who lies to me."

Emma feels like someone just kneed her in the stomach. Marco got frozen solid because he was protecting her, Regina and Gold. He risked his life covering for them. If they never find a way to turn him back to normal, Emma will never get to tell him how grateful she is.

"You froze Marco?" She asks quietly, her voice dropping.

"He was protecting someone." Elsa's eyes turns into solid ice, baring into Emma's and making her feel like the Snow Queen can look into her soul. "Who?"

"I don't know," Emma says slowly, still trying to stop her hands from shaking. She's both freezing and angry, and she's finding out those two feelings make a horrible combination.

Elsa brings her face closer to Emma's. "I don't believe you," she whispers back. Then she takes a step back. "But that doesn't matter. I will turn you into a statue, to send a message to others. Maybe even the man dressed in leather won't be happy enough to get out alive, if he isn't dead already." She pauses. "What is your name?"

Emma doesn't respond for a minute. Then, she says, "Emma. Emma Swan."

"Well then, Emma Swan, I will tell you something I learned centuries ago - necks break easily."

Emma has nothing to say to that. Glancing at her pirate, she silently hopes Elsa's wrong.

...

Regina Mills was never hung up on before.

Of course, Emma Swan had to ruin her perfect record. First she calls her number after she runs out of Gold's pawn shop, then she asks if it was Regina answering her own phone. Her father is an even bigger thorn in Regina's side - he keeps yelling at her, demanding that she hands over the phone. When she ignores him he scoffs angrily and crosses his arms over his chest like a five-year old who's just been insulted.

_"Regina? Is that you?" _Regina hears Emma ask.

Regina rolls her eyes. "This is my number, Miss Swan," she says.

She can't stand listening to David anymore, she has to say something. "I- Charming, can you be silent for a second?"

"Is that Emma?"

"Yes, it's her."

David rattles of various questions so fast she can barely keep up. "Ask her where she is. Is she okay? Is Hook with her? Is something wrong? Do they need out help? Did something happen?"

_Good grief._

"No, well, I don't know."

"Ask her!" David shouts.

"Okay, I will, but first, take three steps back." She hates it when the Charmings invade her personal space. It seems to run in the family, because all of them do it - Emma, Snow, Charming and even Neal reaches out for her and wants to be held sometimes.

_"Regina, focus!"_

"Your overbearing father wants to know where you are and if the pirate has found you. He ran out after you without saying anything." She rolls her eyes. "Typical."

_"Regina, we're at the clock tower. Guess who we saw?" _Regina can now clearly hear panic in Emma Swan's voice. It's not something she hears often. If it was any other day, she would feel that tinge of satisfaction in her chest. But Emma sounds truly scared, and knowing that worries her.

"You don't mean..." _Don't say it, Miss Swan. Don't you dare say it._

_"Yeah, that Elsa character. She's walking down main street, Hook and I are heading her way. Get here as soon as possible."_

The call suddenly ends, and Regina can only stare at the screen in shock. David notices her reaction and it sends the Prince into a frenzy. He looks like he's about to go head-first into the nearest wall. Luckily for them, he doesn't. David takes a deep breath and rubs his temples.

"Regina," he starts, "what happened? Is Emma okay?"

"They found her," Regina says. "Elsa. We have to go right away."

David's jaw drops. "Then what are we standing around here for? Come on, let's go!"

"I'll come as well," Gold says. "I can help."

If David is surprised by Gold's selfless offer, he doesn't show it. "Then strap on your party hat, Gold. Regina, take us to them."

"Wait!" Belle shouts. She walks up to Gold and put something in his hand. "You might need this."

"Belle..." Gold starts, seeing the fake dagger, but Belle doesn't let him continue.

"I trust you," she says. "And if this Elsa is as powerful as you say she is, your dagger will be useful to you."

Gold smiles and kisses his wife's forehead. He lets his chin rest on the top of her head for a moment trying to hide the guilt-ridden look on his face. Belle whispers "Be careful" in his ear, and the guilt becomes almost painful. Still, Gold realizes he will have to magically replace the daggers while nobody is looking. With Regina, Emma and Elsa, who all have affinity for magic, and David, who can be incredibly observant for a shepherd, there, Gold knows it won't be easy. He'll have to create some kind of diversion.

"Gold!" David calls loudly. He's starting to get impatient.

Gold takes a step back and smiles at Belle one more time. He turns around and walks closer to Regina and David. Just as Regina is about to take them to Emma and the pirate, the front door of his shop opens.

Regina freezes. "Robin? What are you doing here?" She asks, watching as he takes a careful step inside, followed by Little John, then rushes over to them.

Robin's eyes flicker all over the room. Regina can tell he's trying to figure out what is happening.

"I... We came to tell you that Marco is safe. We got him off the street."

David nods. "Good, that's good." He is anxious and keeps squirming, and he looks like he's about to break out into a run just to get to Emma. "Regina, let's go!" He shouts. "We can't waste any more time!"

Robin frowns. "Can somebody please tell us what is happening?"

"Emma and Hook are in danger, we have to go help them!"

Regina averts his eyes when Robin looks at her.

"Regina?" He asks, seeking her confirmation. "Is that true?"

She looks up and brushes a strand of hair from her face. "It appears to be. Miss Swan and her pirate always did have a certain... knack for attracting trouble."

Robin is quiet for only a second. Then he nods with newly found determination. "Let's go."

"No!" Regina yells before she can stop herself. She sees everyone in the room still, and faintly wonders if they picked up on her emotions, stated by that one little word. Truthfully, she's terrified of him going out into the open where that psycho might harm him. She clears her throat. "What I mean is, there is no need for you to come with us. David, Gold and I, along with Miss Swan and Hook, are perfectly capable of dealing with Elsa on our own."

"Regina," David's voice is surprisingly gentle, like he can understand what she's feeling. "We can use all the help we can get."

She wants to protest, but that would make her too obvious. Her feelings for the man staring at her would be laid out for everyone to see.

She shrugs, trying to seem indifferent. "Very well then."

With a flick of her wrist, they are all standing in the main street of Storybrooke. It takes Regina a moment to take in her surroundings. The first thing she notices is the cold. She's wearing a her warmest leather coat over a thick sweater, she has her gloves and her wool scarf on, yet she's still freezing. The body-numbing cold is penetrating her skin, like it's trying to freeze her inside out. She shivers and notices that her breath is coming out in white puffs. She is almost certain that standing next to a fireplace wouldn't be enough to make her feel warm again.

She'll probably never be warm again.

The second thing she notices is Emma. The Savior is frozen in her spot, quite literally - there's ice around her feet, and it seems to be spreading. It has reached the middle of her thighs. Emma's breathing is ragged as she talks to the Snow Queen herself.

Elsa's outfit is a little too much, Regina thinks. The dress is a little overdoing it, and the cape makes her want to scratch her eyes out. Really, could she be more cliché?

Emma seems to be pissing her off, because Elsa's pretty pale face turns darker with each word that leaves Emma's mouth. Regina can't blame her on that one - Emma Swan wouldn't know boundaries if they slapped her across the face.

"Hey!" David yells, drawing Elsa and Emma's attention to them. Elsa turns around and curiously looks at them. "Let her go!" David pulls at his gun, causing Elsa to realize they aren't there to drink hot chocolate and have a snowball fight.

"And who are you?" She asks, arching an eyebrow. "Emma's betrothed?"

"I'm her father," David says, and pulls the trigger. The shot is loud and makes Regina cringe. When she looks up she sees that the place Elsa was standing on is covered in ice, but the Queen herself is gone.

"I never would have guessed," Elsa says thoughtfully.

They turn around and see that she's standing behind them. Robin, who is standing behind Regina, reaches out and wraps an arm around her waist, pulling her back and shielding her with his body. She feels grateful, but also a little unnerved because she can't use her magic if he's standing between her and Elsa, the Queen of Icy Bitches.

"What is it that you want, Elsa?" Gold asks, joining their little conversation.

Elsa's eyes widen, and for the first time since Regina saw her, she looks surprised. A moment passes and she looks enraged all of a sudden.

Of course.

"Rumplestiltskin," she says, his name sounding like the worst curse ever created. "It's been a long time."

"I can't say you are wrong, dearie. Why don't you let Miss Swan out of your trap?" Gold proposed, spinning his words perfectly.

"She deserves it," Elsa says bitterly. "She lied to me."

Regina watches the exchange, until she feels like they are taking too damn long. David keeps looking between her and Emma, silently and desperately asking her to do something. He wants to run to his daughter, but he can't, because who knows what Elsa will do. From the corner of her eye Regina notices slight movement. She turns and sees Hook lying on the ground. He's pressed against the wall, and she guesses Elsa did a little throwing of her own. The pirate is regaining consciousness though - he's groaning and rubbing the sore spot on his head. When he sees Emma he stops moving and curses under his breath.

"I put you in that container, Elsa. Don't take your anger out on them, I am the one you should be angry with. Besides, look around. See what your powers are doing to this town."

It looks like she's struggling to retain her control. Her hands are clenched in fists, and Regina can see little snowflakes fall from her hands. "What do you mean?" Her voice hitches, like she barely managed to get the words out.

"Charming," Gold asks, looking at David pointedly. "Would you care to explain?"

David is about to protest -why are they talking when Emma's about to freeze to death?- but stops himself. Maybe there is a good side to Elsa, one that will release Emma if they treat her like a human being, not a monster.

"The temperatures are dangerously dropping," David says. "Windows are freezing, flowers are being turned into ice." He looks at Elsa. "Ever since you appeared in our world."

"I-"

"Don't you see, Your Majesty?" Gold interrupts. "You are losing control over your powers once again. If you don't find a way to handle them, I'm certain history will be repeating itself."

Regina doesn't have it in her to listen to petty chit-chat anymore. Talking without taking action will give them no results. Gold might hit a nerve and piss Elsa off, and Emma might die of hypothermia. Regina looks around and, realizing that nobody is paying attention to her, focuses all her energy into creating a fireball.

After all, the only way to fight ice is to melt it.

She shouts, "Hey, Blondie McSnowflake!" Then hurls the fireball in Elsa's direction.

* * *

**I know, I know, you all probably hate me right now. I'm sorry I haven't updated in... exactly two months, I think. In May and June I had a bunch of exams (you know how high school is) and in July, I had to work. So now I spend my days actually _working, _which kind of sucks in a way, but I feel strangely useful and worthy every day I get home.**

**I hope you liked this chapter, I literally wrote it in two hours, so I apologize for any spelling mistakes. **

**Tell me what you thought of the chapter - leave a review and make me smile :)**


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